Spindle sanders and, in particular, spindle sanders in which the sanding drum is oscillated in a direction normal to the work table are well known in the art. The advantage of oscillating the sanding drum in an axial direction is that the wear on the sanding drum is spread over an extended area and reduces the formation of ridges on the sanded surfaces. Krueger, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,426,028, teaches an oscillating spindle sander having a vertically oriented cam to oscillate the arbor to which the sanding drum is attached. An example of another type of mechanism for oscillating a rotating arbor in an axial direction is taught by Brookfield in U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,789 in which a viscometer is oscillated in an axial direction by a cam follower disposed in a sinusoidal groove. In another example, Cuchiara teaches an annular cam for oscillating a battery powered toothbrush using an annular cam connected to the rotating shaft which engages a mating cam formed on the end enclosure.